The sole Greek Orthodox church to survive a fire in the Aegean province of İzmir in 1922 has been restored, municipal officials announced Sunday. The İzmir Metropolitan Municipality released a statement saying that the restoration of the historical Ayavukla Church, which was launched in 2008, was nearly completed.

Today on June 17, 2010 in Belgrade a Inter-religious Council of the Ministry of Faith of the Republic of Serbia was established, and it consists of Prof. Dr. Bogoljub Sijakovic, Minister of Faith of the Republic of Serbia; Bishop Dr. Irinej Bulovic of Backa; Stanislav Hocevar, Archbishop of Belgrade of the Roman Catholic Church in Serbia; Reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Community of Serbia Adem Zilkic and Rabbi Isaac Asiel, chief rabbi of the Jewish Community in Serbia. The Inter-religious Council is open for further appointments of members from among the dignitaries of the traditional churches and religious communities and prominent lay people.

Minister of Faith Bogoljub Sijakovic pointed out the tasks of the Inter-religious Council: affirmation of religious freedom and religious culture, publishing communiqués (epistles) on important social issues, organizing scientific meetings, panels, round tables and advice on current topics, participation in the preparation of normative solutions, reviewing and interpreting of the tendency of public life, considering the importance of religious freedom and religious culture in the European context.

World Council of Churches leader, the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, will meet with Patriarch Kirill I of the Russian Orthodox Church in his first official visit to Russia. During his 27-29 June visit, Tveit, the WCC's general secretary, and Patriarch Kirill will meet on 28 June, following a service to be led by the Russian Patriarch in the Kremlin's Cathedral of the Dormition, the Moscow Patriarchate's external relations section told ENInews.

Message By His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for World Environment Day (June 5, 2010)

Inasmuch as, at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, we have long been concerned about problems related to the preservation of the natural environment, we have ascertained that the fundamental cause of the abuse and destruction of the world's natural resources is greed and the constant tendency toward unrestrained wealth by citizens in so-called "developed" nations.

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia backed up To Restore Dignity Russian Jewish Congress project dedicated to preserving and commemorating places of massive extermination of Jews by fascist occupants.

"The program aimed at keeping the memory about innocent people deserves support and sympathy," Patriarch Kirill said in his message to the Russian Jewish Congress President Yury Kanner that was read out on Thursday at a round table in the Moscow Memorial Synagogue.